Open call for
the Round 2026.
Stage 2
24.02.2026
Open Call for the 2026 Round. Unfolding the Place. Placing the Folds

Stage 2
Applications selected in Stage 1 receive an invitation to participate in Stage 2. Selected artists will have three weeks to submit the required materials. The deadline for Stage 2 is March 19 (23:00 CET). The full guidelines can be found at the bottom of the page.

Unfolding the Place. Placing the Folds
Curated by Agata Ciastoń
For this edition, AIR InSILo invites artists to take part in a residency curated by Agata Ciastoń. The residency will focus on working with place as a field of relations, encompassing matter and memory, body and landscape, and local and cosmic time. The concept develops from the curator’s ongoing engagement with archives, territories, and landscapes, and proposes an approach that connects artistic practice with methods of critical observation and spatial analysis. Applicants are kindly asked to read the full curatorial text, Unfolding the Place. Placing the Folds.
The residency is conceived as a space for developing or refining ideas rather than producing final works. It builds on research conducted by Ciastoń in Hollabrunn, where she tested various strategies for working with localities and spatial relations. Artists are invited to continue and expand this inquiry, whether by engaging directly with the environment of Hollabrunn or by connecting it to other geographic or conceptual territories. The aim is to examine how different sites, histories, and material traces intersect and inform artistic practice.
The residency will take place in collaboration with Agata Ciastoń, who will accompany participants in the development of their projects through discussion and dialogue. The focus will be on the process itself, including mapping, recontextualising, and unfolding relationships between ground, archive, and imagination.
This call is addressed to artists whose practices engage with site-specific, process-based, or research-oriented approaches; who examine relationships between landscape, infrastructure, memory, and history; who explore archives, walking, or mapping as artistic strategies; who reflect on the entanglement of human and material histories; and who seek to develop new approaches to spatial, historical, or ecological narratives.
Deadline
MARCH 19
23:00 CET
GUIDELINES FOR STAGE 2
• A proposal must match the conceptual direction of the new call. Extra consideration will be given to disarming creativity and irrestrainable experimentation.
• AIR InSILo pays significant attention to the principles of inclusivity and diversity. There is no age limit, and our primary focus is on late-emerging/ early mid-career artists, especially coming to the 'critical' threshold – the age of 35 when institutional support is already fading.
• Special attention will be given to:
– working mothers;
– underrepresented artists;
– artists from countries with minimum/ non-existing support for art and culture;
– LGBTIQA+ representatives;
• We do not accept applications from students (except for PhD candidates).
• The selected artist must spend not less than 80% of the time in the residency. Please see our FAQ for additional information.

Unfortunately, the residency is not equipped for wheelchair access and is not considered entirely safe for children under three y.o. But we would like to be as inclusive as possible. Don't hesitate to contact us to clarify the special conditions.

LONG-TERM RESIDENCE
• 7-week residence (Slots in May - June, July - August, October - December 2026) in AIR InSILo;
• An honorarium (2450 Euros);
• A coverage of material costs (up to 400 Euros);
• A coverage of travel (up to 400 Euros);
• A coverage of transport costs (up to 175 Euros);
• Usage of the facilities and equipment provided by the AIR InSILo;
• Featuring in the InSILo Magazine;
• 5 Mentoring sessions with the curator.
• PR support is provided by digital means of AIR InSILo.

HARDSHIP PROGRAMME FOR STAGE 2
is an option to stay at the residency for three months if your situation requires it. The honorarium will remain the same. Applicants choosing this option may be exempt from paying the solidarity fee.
• 3-month residence (Slot in October - December 2026) in AIR InSILo;

SELECTION PROCESS
• The deadline for Stage 1 of the open call is February 23 (23:00 CET). Fee waivers will be distributed on 13 March only. The deadline for Stage 2 is March 19 (23:00 CET). The shortlist selection will be made by April 1. After the first selection, the applicants will be contacted for further clarification and will be given four days to update the application. The final selection will be made by April 15.
• All applicants will be notified of results no later than
April 20.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR STAGE 2
You are welcome to indicate your preferred time slot to help us understand your availability. However, we cannot guarantee that this period will be available and may suggest an alternative if needed.
A submission proposal should be put in one PDF file (10 MB).
It should contain:
• A proposal letter with a conceptual direction and envision of a suggested proposal. It should be submitted in two versions: a short abstract – up to 1000 characters (with spaces), and a full version – up to 4000-5000 characters (with spaces);
• A presentation of the main project proposal. This section should include the following components: an abstract; the long version containing the research questions or objectives to be pursued during the residency period; the working methods; a work plan with a proposed timetable; material costs and a preliminary budget; as well as illustrations, drafts, sketches, links, or other supporting materials, if available.
• BIO – up to 1000 characters (with spaces);
• Portrait* – b/w, vertical, 1500 px on a longer side, with ©;
• An image illustrating your proposal - 1500 px on a longer side;
• CV – 3 pages maximum;
The working language of the residency is English.
Additionally, we communicate in German and Russian (informally).
A solidarity fee should be paid before filling in the form.

DISCLAIMER FOR STAGE 2
• Please thoroughly study all the premises of the InSILo residency before submitting the proposal. If you have questions which our website or social media can't answer, please attend our Q&A session on February 27 at 19:00 CET.
https://dieangewandte-at.zoom.us/j/66052831921
Meeting ID: 660 5283 1921

SOLIDARITY FEE FOR STAGE 2
To support the AIR InSILo Emergency programme, we decided to implement a solidarity fee of 7 Euros. All the funds will be donated to the Hardship Programme of AIR InSILo. One should pay the fee (via PayPal or other means stated on the Hardship Programme page) before filling in the form.
Fee waivers will be distributed on 13 March only. Priority will be given to applicants intending to apply for the Hardship Programme or those who are unable to complete a financial transaction.
To apply for a waiver, please send us a letter on 13 March explaining your situation. The number of waivers is limited. If you do not receive confirmation by 14 March, this means that all waivers have been allocated.